We have all lost our way while looking for something at railway stations at some point – Especially if you are visiting one for the first time or have trouble navigating due to a mobility issue. Although convenient and enjoyable, rail journeys are often considered difficult and tiring due to all the pre-hand planning and all the walking involved at the station. Even from the operator’s perspective, managing railway stations, including maintaining the infrastructure and the trains while ensuring a good experience for the passengers, is time-consuming, costly, and complex. Fortunately, technology has allowed us to develop a cutting-edge solution to tackle these issues – augmented reality (AR) maps.
Briteyellow recently created innovative AR maps (incorporated into the BriteWay-XR app) of six Transport for Wales (TfW) stations, namely Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street, Newport, Chester, Shrewsbury, and Pontypridd, to help passengers feel more confident while using the rail network. They can access these interactive 3D maps online to locate key areas within the stations, including customer information screens, lifts, toilets, help points, and waiting rooms. The BriteWay-XR app, which is currently in the process of customer testing, will improve the experience and accessibility needs of the passengers and help them plan their journey through the station before their visit.
You can take a virtual tour of all six stations here.
How Did We Make It Happen
Briteyellow was part of the first group to take part in the Lab by TfW innovation accelerator programme. We created a solution to improve communication about station facilities and availability to enable customers to find staff easily, while also reducing stress for the passengers and encouraging self-service.
Since going through the Lab by the TfW programme, Briteyellow has received funding up to £120k from Catapult Connected after winning the UK Department for Transport’s first Accessibility Transport Research and Innovation Grants Programme. We have also recently won funding through the Design Age Institute- Transport Pathfinder Innovation Programme, which aims to re-design the app’s functionality and make it truly inclusive and easy to use.
You can find out more about TfW’s innovative Lab Accelerator Programme in our case study.
About BriteWay
The BriteWay app can be used as a standalone app or integrated with another application to bring precise location accuracy and high-definition mixed reality guidance together to help visitors plan and easily navigate indoor destinations. It integrates AR and VR with Blue Dot navigation for advanced indoor wayfinding and discovery. Here’s how BriteWay can help railway stations and other indoor venues like airports, shopping malls, and more.
- High-definition AR guidance for faster indoor navigation
- Smart journey planning with VR
- Seamless and connected customer guidance and assistance
- Valuable insights to increase footfall and sales
- Insightful forecasts to help improve operational efficiency
You can find out more about BriteWay’s AR and VR indoor wayfinding here.
Want to learn more about how we helped TfW create the perfect AR map for their stations? Contact us on 0845 557 0520 or email us at [email protected].